Turkey in the Straw

You know the old children's song, "Turkey in the Straw?" Well, the turkeys on the County Line have been in the straw ... in the tree stumps ... in the pasture ... in the sudan field ... outside my kitchen window ... in the middle of the road and even lingering at my living room window.

It's a good thing that I like Butterballs a lot more than I like wild game.

But I have had to have the patience of a hunter. Even though the turkeys have dined in my front yard and side yard on a regular basis, they don't like to stick around when I open the door to try my own version of "Candid Camera."

But, just like a hunter, my patience was finally rewarded last week when I spotted the turkeys by the barn as I returned from yet another trip to the field.

They scurried away, but, with the stealth of a hunter, I grabbed my camera and followed them. With the cover of trees, I got a few photos - finally a few clicks of the camera not obscured with a window screen.

Our employee, Jake, is an avid hunter. He says there are two different groups of the birds. But on that day, the two clans came together for a mid-morning snacking session.

There were 21 birds in the group. Our dog, Ralph, is so accustomed to their visits that he hardly lifts his head from his nap to acknowledge their presence anymore.

Now, my next challenge is getting a photo with their plumage revealed. I'm just not sure I'm that patient.